1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of telecommunications including electronic commerce (ecommerce) and electronic services (eServices) and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for monitoring web sessions initiated by visitors and ranking those sessions based on visitor navigation and interaction behavior for the purpose of proactively engaging higher ranked visitors into a live channel of communication.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In the field of electronic commerce, companies provide Web sites where visitors may, using Internet-capable appliances, browse products, services, and interactive features designed to engage customers in a way that may promote sales through those Web sites or through separate channels associated with those Web-sites. There are many different considerations visited to best determine when a particular customer should be approached and solicited. Therefore, many companies have pre-screening or qualification routines in place that basically work to screen out uninterested persons from taxing the sales process or to direct less interested parties at least to automated self-help systems so that live sales personnel are best utilized in assisting the more highly motivated and qualified potential customers.
The time of the agent is the most valuable asset of most contact center systems. Where Web services are in place, there are available widgets that can be provided on Web sites that allow customers to place calls, enter chat rooms, schedule call-backs and the like so that live assistance is always close at hand. However, many potential customers that elect live assistance are not actually highly motivated customers. They may elect live assistance when they are merely seeking information or to complain about a product or service, for example. As a result, a lot of time is wasted engaging potential customers that are not qualified or motivated at the time of engagement. In many of these cases redirection to an automated service is the suggested treatment to free up live personnel for better use of time.
Conversely, where automated sales transaction services are provided and available through an ecommerce Web-site, customers who are actively engaging those services should never be interrupted by live personnel unless there is a problem or obstacle preventing those customers from finishing the transaction.
It has occurred to the inventors that if a visitor navigating a Web site but not currently engaged in a transaction or utilizing live assistance can be identified as having motivation considered amenable to intervention, then live sales resources may be better utilized and sales through the Web-site might be enhanced over self-help pathways available through the site. What is clearly needed is a system and methods for proactively engaging Web-site visitors based on real-time visitor value ranking at the Web site.